Educational game

ABSTRACT

An educational game including an upright game board having pluralities of vertical parallel slots of varying lengths on opposite sides thereof and playing pieces each capable of being inserted in one of said slots with a side of the playing piece visible and players apply lettering representing words to said playing piece sides and insert each playing piece in an appropriate one of said slots in an effort to fill a given number of said slots before an opponent.

United States Patent [191 Coates 14 1 Feb. 13, 1973 1 EDUCATIONAL GAME [76] Inventor: Harry D. Coates, Apt. 417, 5021 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Va. 22311 [22] Filed: June 4,1971

21 Appl. No.: 149,918

[52] U.S. Cl. ..35/ R, 35/73, 273/130 E [51] Int. Cl. ..G09b l/l6 [58] Field of Search ..35/61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 73,

35/75, 35 R, 35 H; 273/130 E, 136 E, 136 GB; /125 C, 125 H, 63 R, 64 R, 65

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Wenger ..35/62 X Fetter ..40/125 H 25 24 i l I innit- 914,775 3/1909 Aarons ..40/125 C FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 11,978 1899 Great Britain ..35/

Primary Examiner-Wm. H. Grieb Att0rneyJ0seph C. Walter [57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures EDUCATIONAL GAME The present invention is concerned with a game which is both educational and amusing.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a game which is challenging, educational and fun to play, can be played in various ways, provides players with an opportunity to expand and test their vocabularies as well as practice in writing and printing letters.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a game board which, in use, will stand upright, is inexpensive to manufacture, can be easily assembled or disassembled and when disassembled can be packaged flat for easy mailing and storage. 7

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing, in which,

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of the present game with a portion broken away,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the game, partly in cross-section,

FIG. 3, is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2, and,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, numeral 1 indicates a triangular shaped support plate with a straight base 2, a slot 3 extending from the center of said base part of the way towards the apex of said plate defined by sides 4 and 5 slanting inwardly towards one another from opposite ends of said base. Said plate has an extension 6 at one end of base 2, which extension has a bottom button seated within the head of suction cup 7, while plate extension 6a extends from the other end of base 2 and likewise has a bottom button seated in the head of suction cup 7a.

The triangular playing board 8 has a straight base 9 with buttons extending from the opposite ends of base 9, seated within the heads of suction cups l0 and I1. One-half of board 8 has a flat plain side 12 extending normal to and from a longitudinal edge of base 9, while the other one-half of board 8 has a flat plain side 23 extending normal to and from the other longitudinal edge of base 9. Side 12 has steps 13 on its hypotenuse, straight T-shaped flanges 14 each extending normal from the front of one of said steps down the heighth of said side with the headslS of said flanges being spaced apart so that each pair of flanges provides a slot whose interior can be viewed between the heads of said flanges. The apex 16 of side 12 has an L-shape flange 18 whose base 17 extends inwardly over side 12, while flange 18 extends along the altitude of side 12.

The other half-side 23 of board 8 has an L-shaped flange 19 extending along the altitude of side 23, but spaced from flange 18 providing a slot therebetween. The lower portions of flanges 18 and 19 are joined by connector 20 integral with said flanges and extending therebetween. Connector 20 is sized to closely fit in slot 3 of plate 1 connecting plates 1 and 8 so that said plates give each other lateral support when suction cups 7, 7a, and 11 are mounted on a flat surface such as a table top.

Side 23 also have T-shaped flanges 21 extending the heighth of and normal to said side with heads 22 spaced apart so that said flanges l9 and 21 provide a plurality of slots the interiors of which are visible between said heads 22. The hypotenuse of side 23 is also stepped as at 27 with flanges 21 each extending from the front of one of said steps.

A plurality of playing pieces 24 each have a knob 25 on one end and are shaped and sized to slide longitudinally and fit into one slot of side 12 or one slot on side 23.

Preferably plates 1 and 8 are formed separately of extruded plastic and assembled by sliding plate 1 down the space between flanges 18 and 19 until connector 20 enters slot 3 whereupon the game board is formed and can be placed on a supporting surface with plates 1 and 8 extending upright. By way of example only, plate 8 can have a base 9 24 inches long and an altitude of 12 inches. Plate 1 can have a base 2 of 12 inches and an altitude of 12 inches. The playing pieces can be from one to ten inches in length and of a plastic which can be written on with a fiber pen containing washable ink easily wiped off with a damp sponge or cloth. Each playing piece 24 has one or more lateral lines providing spaces therebetween for one or more letters to be written thereon by the players and wiped off after th completion of each game. I

There are a number of various ways in which the game may be played and examples thereof are as follows:

Two players each take a position with one player facing the slots of side 8 and the other player facing the slots of side 23. Then each player removes the one letter playing piece 24 facing him and writes one letter, preferably a vowel, thereon. Said one letter slide is replaced on its slot and the two letter piece is removed, two letters written thereon with the first letter being the letter from the one letter slide and the two letter piece replaced in its slot. The three letter piece is removed, a three letter word written thereon with the first letter of the word being the last letter on the two letter piece and the three letter piece replaced in its slot. The four letter slide is removed, a four letter word written thereon with the first letter being the last letter on the three letter slide and the four letter slide replaced in its slot. The five to 10 letter playing pieces are removed in turn, words similarly written thereon and replaced in their slots with the game being completed when both players have tilled in and replaced all of their playing pieces, whether correctly or not. Each correct playing pieces gives that player one point per letter and any words formed horizontally by the lettering gives that player two points per letter. The playing pieces may be slid vertically in their slots to form more words and give the players more points. The first player to receive a certain number of points, for example 100, would win the game.

However the players can make their own rules, for example, require each game to start with a particular vowel or consonant agreed upon in advance, place a time limit on the completion of each game, require the players to take turns or play simultaneously, begin each word with a particular vowel or the vowels in rotation, or the first letters could be in sequence or the same or picked at random.

After each game is completed the playing pieces are wiped clean so as to be ready for the next game.

I claim:

1. An educational game comprising a game board of a triangular configuration, means for supporting said board upright with the apex thereof at the top, at least two sets of parallel slots with each set provided on an opposite face of said board and positioned for extending vertically in use, the slots of each of said sets of slots being of progressively increasing lengths towards the apex of said board, at least two sets of playing pieces with the playing pieces of each set being of progressively increasing length and detachably mounted in one of said slots of a similar length, and the playing pieces of each set being mounted only in the same one of said sets of slots and capable of being written on with the playing pieces of each set accommodating progressive numbers of letters thereon.

2. An educational game as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said sets of slots is positioned on onehalf of one side of said board for use of at least one player and the other of said sets of slots is positioned on the other one-half of the other side of said board for use of at least a second player.

3. An educational game as claimed in claim 1 wherein said board has a top center slot, said supporting means is a plate having a bottom center slot and which plate extends through said board slot and said board extends through said plate slot with said piate and board extending normal to one another.

4. A method of playing an educational game having a game board with at least two sets of parallel slots with each set being on an opposite side of said board and having slots of progressive lengths and at least two sets of playing pieces with the playing pieces of each set being of progressive lengths consisting in writing at least one letter on one of the playing pieces, placing said piece in one of said game board slots of a similar length, writing additional words of progressively increasing numbers of letters on further of said playing pieces of comparative length, in turn and placing each further playing piece in one of said slots of a similar length until all playing pieces are so placed. 

1. An educational game comprising a game board of a triangular configuration, means for supporting said board upright with the apex thereof at the top, at least two sets of parallel slots with each set provided on an opposite face of said board and positioned for extending vertically in use, the slots of each of said sets of slots being oF progressively increasing lengths towards the apex of said board, at least two sets of playing pieces with the playing pieces of each set being of progressively increasing length and detachably mounted in one of said slots of a similar length, and the playing pieces of each set being mounted only in the same one of said sets of slots and capable of being written on with the playing pieces of each set accommodating progressive numbers of letters thereon.
 1. An educational game comprising a game board of a triangular configuration, means for supporting said board upright with the apex thereof at the top, at least two sets of parallel slots with each set provided on an opposite face of said board and positioned for extending vertically in use, the slots of each of said sets of slots being oF progressively increasing lengths towards the apex of said board, at least two sets of playing pieces with the playing pieces of each set being of progressively increasing length and detachably mounted in one of said slots of a similar length, and the playing pieces of each set being mounted only in the same one of said sets of slots and capable of being written on with the playing pieces of each set accommodating progressive numbers of letters thereon.
 2. An educational game as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said sets of slots is positioned on one-half of one side of said board for use of at least one player and the other of said sets of slots is positioned on the other one-half of the other side of said board for use of at least a second player.
 3. An educational game as claimed in claim 1 wherein said board has a top center slot, said supporting means is a plate having a bottom center slot and which plate extends through said board slot and said board extends through said plate slot with said plate and board extending normal to one another. 